53 & 54 Series II

Thermometer

Test Equipment Depot - 800.517.8431 - 99 Washington Street Melrose, MA 02176 - TestEquipmentDepot.com

Users Manual

September 1999 Rev.1, 6/01

1999-2001 Fluke Corporation, All rights reserved. Printed in USA
All product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
 Limited Warranty & Limitation Of Liability

This Fluke product will be free from defects in material and workmanship for 3 years from the date of purchase. This war-
ranty does not cover fuses, disposable batteries or damage from accident, neglect, misuse or abnormal conditions of opera-
tion or handling. Resellers are not authorized to extend any other warranty on Flukes behalf. To obtain service during the
warranty period, send your defective tester to the nearest Fluke Authorized Service Center with a description of the problem.

THIS WARRANTY IS YOUR ONLY REMEDY. NO OTHER WARRANTIES, SUCH AS FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE, ARE EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. FLUKE IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, ARISING FROM ANY CAUSE OR THEORY. Since some states or countries
do not allow the exclusion or limitation of an implied warranty or of incidental or consequential damages, this limitation of
liability may not apply to you.

10/96
 Table of Contents

Title Page

Safety Information.......................................................................................................... 1
Contacting Fluke ....................................................................................................... 1
Getting Started............................................................................................................... 4
Components.............................................................................................................. 5
Display Elements ...................................................................................................... 6
Buttons...................................................................................................................... 7
Using the Thermometer ................................................................................................. 9
Changing Setup Options................................................................................................ 9
Entering and Exiting Setup........................................................................................ 9
Changing the Logging Interval .................................................................................. 10
Changing the Thermocouple Type............................................................................ 11
Changing the Offset .................................................................................................. 11
Enabling or Disabling Sleep Mode ............................................................................ 12
Setting the Time........................................................................................................ 12
Changing the Line Frequency ................................................................................... 13
Measuring Temperatures............................................................................................... 13
Connecting a Thermocouple ..................................................................................... 13

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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual

Displaying Temperatures........................................................................................... 14
Holding the Displayed Temperatures ........................................................................ 14
Viewing the MIN, MAX, and AVG Readings .............................................................. 14
Using the Offset to Adjust for Probe Errors ............................................................... 15
Using Memory ................................................................................................................ 15
Initial Conditions and Data Entries............................................................................. 16
Starting and Stopping Logging .................................................................................. 16
Clearing Memory ....................................................................................................... 17
Viewing Logged Readings......................................................................................... 17
Communicating with a PC .............................................................................................. 18
Maintenance................................................................................................................... 19
Replacing the Batteries ............................................................................................. 19
Cleaning the Case and Holster.................................................................................. 19
Calibration ................................................................................................................. 19
Specifications ................................................................................................................. 19
Environmental............................................................................................................ 19
General...................................................................................................................... 20
80 PK-1 Thermocouple (supplied with thermometer) ................................................ 20
Electrical.................................................................................................................... 20
Replacement Parts and Accessories.............................................................................. 21

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 53 & 54 Series II

Safety Information
The Fluke Model 53 and Model 54 Thermometers (the
thermometer) are microprocessor-based, digital
thermometers designed to use external J-, K-, T-, E-, R-,
S-, and N-type thermocouples (temperature probes) as
temperature sensors.

Use the thermometer only as specified in this manual.

Otherwise, the protection provided by the meter may be
impaired.

Refer to safety information in Table 1 and the meter

symbols in Table 2.

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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual

Table 1. Safety Information

WWarning
A Warning identifies conditions and actions that pose hazards to the user. To avoid electrical shock or
personal injury, follow these guidelines:
Before using the thermometer inspect the case. Do not use the thermometer if it appears damaged. Look
for cracks or missing plastic. Pay particular attention to the insulation around the connectors.
Disconnect the thermocouple(s) from the thermometer before opening the case.
Replace the batteries as soon as the battery indicator (B) appears. The possibility of false readings can
lead to personal injury.
Do not use the thermometer if it operates abnormally. Protection may be impaired. When in doubt, have the
thermometer serviced.
Do not operate the thermometer around explosive gas, vapor, or dust.
Do not apply more than the rated voltage, as marked on the thermometer, between the thermocouple(s), or
between any thermocouple and earth ground.

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 53 & 54 Series II
Safety Information
Table 1. Safety Information (cont.)

WWarning (cont.)
Model 54: Measurement errors may occur if voltages on the measurement surfaces result in potentials
greater than 1 V between the two thermocouples. When potential differences are anticipated between the
thermocouples, use electrically insulated thermocouples.
When servicing the thermometer, use only specified replacement parts.
Do not use the thermometer with any part of the case or cover removed.

Caution
A Caution identifies conditions and actions that may damage the meter or the equipment under test.
Use the proper thermocouples, function, and range for your thermometer.
Do not attempt to recharge the batteries.
To prevent explosion, do not throw batteries into a fire.
Follow local laws or regulations when disposing of batteries.
Match the + and polarities of the battery with the battery case.

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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual

Table 2. International Symbols

W Refer to the manual for information about this feature. P Complies with European Union directives.

M Battery. Complies with relevant Canadian Standards

Association directives.

Getting Started Figure 1 and Table 3 describe the components.

Everything in this Users Manual applies both to Models
53 and 54 unless otherwise indicated.
To become familiar with the thermometer, study the
following:
Figure 2 and Table 4 describe the display.
Table 5 describes the functions of the buttons.
Then read the following sections.

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 53 & 54 Series II
Getting Started

Table 3. Components
Components
A
xx

Thermocouple T1 input

B Model 54: Thermocouple T2 input

3 C Holster
2 D Display
4 1
5
E Buttons

F Battery door

G Batteries

aat01f.eps
Figure 1. Components

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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual

Display Elements Table 4. Display Elements

xx

A The thermocouple measurement includes an

2 3 4 5 6 offset. See "Changing Setup Options."
1 7 B The displayed readings do not change.

C A shift function is in progress.

8 D Readings are being logged.

E Setup is in progress.
9
12 F Logged readings are displayed.

10 G Low battery. Replace the batteries.

11
H Primary Display. Model 53: T1 reading.
aat02f.eps
Model 54: T1, T2, or T1-T2 reading.
Figure 2. Display Elements
I The temperature units.

J Secondary Display: MAX, MIN, AVG, MEMORY,

or offset. Model 54: T1 or T2 reading.

K The thermocouple type.

L Time Display: 24-hour clock. Shows the

INTERVAL length in SETUP. Shows elapsed time
when AVG is on or before clock has been set.

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 53 & 54 Series II
Getting Started

Buttons
Table 5. Buttons

A Press A to turn the thermometer on or off.

G Press G, M (CANCEL) to stop displaying the minimum, maximum, and average readings in the
secondary display.
(Shift function)
Press G, J (CLEAR MEMORY) to delete logged readings from memory.

Press G, r (PC/IR SEND) to toggle the IR port on and off.

Q Press Q to turn the backlight on and off. The backlight turns off after 2 minutes without any button
presses. If the battery is low, the backlight is disabled.

M Press M to step through the maximum, minimum, and average readings.

When viewing logged readings, shows the maximum, minimum, and average of the logged readings.

Press G, M (CANCEL) to turn off this display.

C o o
Press C to switch between Celsius ( C), Fahrenheit ( F), and Kelvin (K).

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53 & 54 Series II
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Table 5. Buttons (cont.)

h Press h to freeze or unfreeze the displayed readings.

Press h when turning on the thermometer to test the display. All display elements appear.

T Model 54: Press T to toggle showing the T1, T2, and T1-T2 (differential temperature measurement) in
the primary or secondary display.

D Press D to start or exit Setup. (See "Changing Setup Options.")

K Press K to scroll to the Setup option you want to change.

Press K to increase the displayed setting.

N Press N to scroll to the Setup option you want to change.

Press N to decrease the displayed setting.

E Press E to enter a Setup option.

Press E again to store the displayed setting in memory.

J Press J to start or stop logging.

During manual logging, the thermometer stores a single set of logged readings in memory each time you
press J.

r Press r to show logged readings and MIN MAX readings on the display.

Press r again to stop.

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 53 & 54 Series II
Using the Thermometer

Entering and Exiting Setup

Using the Thermometer
When the thermometer is in Setup mode, the display
1. Plug the thermocouple(s) into the input connector(s).
shows s.
2. Press A to turn on the thermometer.
Press D to start or exit Setup.
After 1 second the thermometer displays the first reading.
If no thermocouple is plugged into the selected input or the Notes
thermocouple is "open," the display shows Press K or N to scroll to the setup option you
"- - - -." want to change.

Changing Setup Options Setup is disabled in MIN MAX mode.

Use Setup to change the logging interval, thermocouple

type, offset, sleep mode, time, and line frequency settings.

The thermometer stores the settings in its memory. Setup

settings reset only when the batteries are removed for
more than 2 minutes.

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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual
Changing the Logging Interval
The logging interval determines how often the
thermometer stores logged readings in memory. You
choose the length of the logging interval. See "Using
Memory."
The thermometer stores logged readings at the end of
each logging interval. You can select a logging interval of
1 second (1), 10 seconds (2), 1 minute (3), 10 minutes (4),
or user-defined (USef).
You can also set the logging interval manually (0). Each
time you press J, the thermometer stores the current
readings in memory.
1. Press K or N until the display shows INTERVAL.
2. Press E to display the logging interval choices.
3. Press K or N until the display shows the logging
interval you want, and then press E to select.
10
4. If you selected a user-defined logging interval:
Press K or N until the display shows
hour:min or min:sec, and then press E to
select.
The left two digits blink.
Press K or N until the left two digits you want
appear on the display, and then press E to
select them.
The right two digits blink.
Press K or N until the right two digits you
want appear on the display, and then press E
to select them.
Holding down K or N causes the number to
change more quickly.

Changing the Thermocouple Type
1. Press K or N until the display shows TYPE.
2. Press E to display the thermocouple type choices.
The currently selected thermocouple blinks.
3. Press K or N until the thermocouple you want
appears on the display.
4. Press E to store the thermocouple type in memory.
53 & 54 Series II
Changing Setup Options
Changing the Offset
You can adjust the thermometers readings to compensate
for the errors of a specific thermocouple. See "Using the
Offset to Adjust for Probe Errors." The allowable
o o
adjustment range is 5.0 C or K, and 9.0 F.
Model 54: You can store individual offsets for T1 and T2.
1. Press K or N until the display shows O and
T1 or T2.
2. Press E to indicate that you want to change the
offset setting.
The temperature measurement plus the offset
appears in the primary display. The offset appears in
the secondary display.
3. Press K or N until the primary display shows the
correct reading.
4. Press E to store the offset setting in memory.
Remember to reset the offset to 0.0 when it is no longer
needed. The offset automatically resets to 0.0 when you
change the thermocouple type.
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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual

Enabling or Disabling Sleep Mode Setting the Time

The thermometer enters sleep mode if no button press 1. Press K or N until the display shows the time if it
occurs for 20 minutes. is set or shows "- - : - -."

Pressing any button wakes the thermometer and returns it 2. Press E to indicate you want to set the time.
to its previous state.
The left two digits blink.
1. Press K or N until the display shows SLP.
3. Press K or N until the display shows the correct
2. Press E to indicate that you want to change the hour (24-hour format), and then press E to select.
sleep setting.
The right two digits blink.
The display shows on if sleep mode is on and 0FF if
sleep mode is off. 4. Press K or N until the display shows the correct
minutes, and then press E to store the time in
3. Press K or N as needed until the display shows memory.
on or 0FF.
Note
4. Press E to store the sleep setting in memory.
Holding down K or N causes the number to
Sleep mode is enabled each time you turn on the change more quickly.
thermometer and is automatically disabled in MIN MAX
and logging modes.

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 53 & 54 Series II
Measuring Temperatures

Changing the Line Frequency Measuring Temperatures

For optimum rejection of line noise, set the thermometer Connecting a Thermocouple
for the local line frequency as follows:
Thermocouples are color coded by type based on the
1. Press K or N until the display shows Li ne. North American ANSI Color Code:

2. Press E to indicate that you want to change the Type Color Type Color
line setting.
J Black R Green
3. Press K or N as needed until the display shows
50 V or 60 V (50 Hz or 60 Hz). K Yellow S Green

4. Press E to store the line setting in memory. T Blue N Orange

E Purple

1. Plug a thermocouple into the input connector(s).

2. Set the thermometer for the correct thermocouple

type.

To change the thermocouple type, see Changing

Setup Options.

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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual

Displaying Temperatures Holding the Displayed Temperatures

1. Press C to select the correct temperature scale. 1. Press h to freeze the readings on the display.

2. Hold or attach the thermocouple(s) to the The display shows H.

measurement location.
2. Model 54: Press T to toggle showing the T1, T2, or
The temperature reading appears in the selected T1-T2 readings in the primary or secondary display.
display.
3. Press h again to turn off the HOLD function.
3. Model 54: Press T to toggle between showing the
T1, T2, and T1-T2 reading in the primary or Viewing the MIN, MAX, and AVG Readings
secondary display. 1. Press M to step through the maximum (MAX),
minimum (MIN), or the average (AVG) readings.
Notes
The display shows "- - - -" when a thermocouple The elapsed time since entering MIN MAX mode, or
is not connected. the time at which the minimum or maximum occurred,
appears on the display.
The display shows 0L (overload) when the
temperature being measured is outside the 2. Press G, M (CANCEL) to exit MIN MAX mode.
thermocouples valid range.
Model 54: If only thermocouple T2 is connected,
the T2 reading appears in the primary display.

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 53 & 54 Series II
Using Memory

Using the Offset to Adjust for Probe Errors Using Memory

Use the offset option in Setup to adjust the thermometers
readings to compensate for the errors of a specific
thermocouple.
1. Plug the thermocouple into the input connector.
2. Place the thermocouple in a known, stable
temperature environment (such as an ice bath or a
dry well calibrator).
3. Allow the readings to stabilize.
4. In Setup change the offset until the primary display
reading matches the calibration temperature. (See
"Changing Setup Options.")
During a logging session the thermometer stores logged
readings in its memory.
At the end of the logging session you can view the logged
readings on the display.
You can also transfer the logged readings to a PC running
FlukeView Forms software. (See "Communicating with a
PC.")
FlukeView Forms displays the logged readings on an
online form, which you can print or store for later use.

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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual

Initial Conditions and Data Entries Starting and Stopping Logging

Logged readings include initial conditions and data entries. Setup, memory clear, and PC communications are
inaccessible during logging.
The initial conditions are the thermocouple type and the
offsets for each thermocouple input. You can only view 1. Set the logging interval. (See Changing Setup
initial conditions using FlukeView Forms. Options.)

The data entries are a time stamp, the T1 reading, and the 2. Press J to start logging.
T2 and T1-T2 readings (Model 54). You can view these
values by pressing r or using FlukeView Forms. The display shows l.
Temperature readings display 0.1 degree resolution in
3. Press J again to stop logging.
FlukeView Forms.
4. If you selected a manual logging interval, press J
The thermometer has 500 memory locations. The
each time you want to store logged readings in
thermometer stores 499 sets of temperature readings and
memory.
one set of initial conditions when logging continuously. It
stores 250 sets of temperature readings and 250 sets of
initial conditions when logging individual points manually.

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 53 & 54 Series II
Using Memory

Clearing Memory Viewing Logged Readings

When memory is full, FULL appears on the display and 1. Press r to view logged readings.
logging stops. You can clear memory in normal or MIN
MAX mode. The display shows R.

Press G, J (CLEAR MEMORY) to delete 2. Press K or N to scroll through the logged

logged readings from memory. readings.

The display shows the following for 2 seconds. The display shows each logged reading, its time
stamp, and its memory location. For example, Figure
MEMORY
3 shows the logged reading stored at 2:02 PM in
cW f memory location 18.

aat03f.eps
Figure 3. Logged Reading

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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual

3. Press M to step through the minimum, maximum, Communicating with a PC

average, and current logged reading. For example,
Figure 4 shows the maximum reading in memory. The
maximum reading occurred at 1:49 P.M. and was
stored in memory location 5.
You can transfer the contents of the thermometers
memory to a PC using FlukeView Forms. The
communication requires an IR (infrared) serial connection.
Refer to the FlukeView Forms Installation Guide and
FlukeView Help.

FlukeView Forms places the logged readings into

standard (default) or customized forms. The forms also
display user comments. You can use these forms to
satisfy ISO-9000 documentation requirements.

When you send logged readings to a PC, all functions are

disabled except power off, backlight, and turning off
communication.
aat04f.eps
Figure 4. Maximum Reading Press G, r (PC/IR SEND) to toggle the IR port
on and off.
4. Press r to stop viewing logged readings.
The display shows:
Note if
Send
The thermometer calculates the minimum and
maximum of all logging sessions in memory. When the IR port is enabled you can communicate with
FlukeView Forms.
The display shows "- - : - -" if the log is empty.

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 53 & 54 Series II
Maintenance

Maintenance Calibration
Replacing the Batteries To ensure that the thermometer performs to its accuracy
specifications, Fluke recommends that you calibrate the
Refer to the safety information in Table 1 before replacing thermometer annually, starting one year after purchase.
the batteries.
To calibrate the thermometer, contact Fluke for the
1. Turn off the thermometer if necessary. Service Center nearest you or follow the calibration
procedure in the service manual listed in "Replacement
2. Loosen the screw and remove the battery door.
Parts and Accessories."
3. Replace the three AA batteries.
Specifications
4. Replace the battery door and tighten the screw.
Environmental
Cleaning the Case and Holster Operating
o
10 C to 50 C
o

o o
Use soap and water or a mild commercial cleaner. Temperature (14 F to 122 F)
o o
Wipe with a damp sponge or soft rag. Storage 40 C to +60 C
o o
Temperature (40 F to +140 F)
o o
Humidity Non condensing <10 C (<50 F)
o o o o
95% RH: 10 C to 30 C (50 F to 86 F)
o o o o
75% RH: 30 C to 40 C (86 F to 104 F)
o o o o
45% RH: 40 C to 50 C (104 F to 122 F)

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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual

General 80 PK-1 Thermocouple (supplied with

thermometer)
Weight 280 g (10 oz)
Type Type K, Chromel Alumel, bead style
Dimensions 2.8 cm 7.8 cm 16.2 cm
o o
(without (1.1 in 3 in 6.4 in) Temperature 40 C to +260 C
o o
holster) Range (40 F to +500 F)
o o
Battery 3 AA batteries Accuracy 1.1 C ( 2.0 F)

Certification P, s Electrical
o o
Safety CSA C22.2 No. 1010.1 1992 Measurement J-type: 210 C to +1200 C
o o
EN 61010 Amendments 1, 2 Range (346 F to + 2192 F)
o o
CAT I OVERVOLTAGE (Installation) K-type: 200 C to +1372 C
o o
(328 F to +2501 F)
CATEGORY I, Pollution Degree 2 per
o o
IEC1010-1* T-type: 250 C to +400 C
o o
(418 F to +752 F)
* Refers to the level of Impulse Withstand Voltage protection
provided. Equipment of OVERVOLTAGE CATEGORY I is o o
E-type: 150 C to +1000 C
equipment for connection to circuits in which measures are o o
(238 F to +1832 F)
taken to limit the transient over voltages to an appropriate low
o o
level. Example include protect electronic circuits. N-type: 200 C to +1300 C
o o
(328 F to +2372 F)
o o
R- and S-type: 0 C to +1767 C
o o
(+32 F to +3212 F)
o o o
Display 0.1 C / F / K < 1000
o o o
Resolution 1.0 C / F / K 1000

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 53 & 54 Series II
Replacement Parts and Accessories

Electrical (cont.) Replacement Parts and Accessories

Measurement J-, K-, T-, E-, and N-type: [0.05 % of
Accuracy, T1, T2
o
reading + 0.3o C (0.5 F)]
o Accessory Part Number
o
or T1-T2 (Model [below 100 C (148 F): add 0.15 %
54) of reading for J-, K-, E-, and N-type; Holster and Flex Stand Assembly 1272438
and 0.45 % of reading for T-type]
R- and
o
S-type:
o
[0.05 % of reading + AA NEDA 15A IEC LR6 batteries 376756
0.4 C (0.7 F)]
o o
Temperature 0.01 %o of reading
o
+ 0.03 C per C 80PK-1 K-Type Bead Thermocouple 773135
Coefficient (0.05o F per F) o
outside
o
the specified
o
+18 C to 28 C (+64 F to +82 F) CD-ROM 1276106
range o o
[below 100 C (148 F): add Service Manual 1276123
0.04 % of reading for J-, K-, E-, and
N-type; and 0.08 % of reading for T-
type]
o o
Electromagnetic Susceptibility: 2 C (3.6 F) for 80
Compatibility MHz to 200 MHz in 1.5 V/m field, for
200 MHz to 1000 MHz in 3 V/m field.
Emmisions: Commercial Limits per
EN50081-1
Maximum 1 V (Maximum voltage difference
Differential between T1 and T2)
Common Mode
Voltage
Temperature ITS-90
Scale
Applicable NIST-175
Standards
Accuracy is specified
o o
for ambient
o
temperatures
o
between 18 C (64 F) and 28 C (82 F) for a period of
1 year. The above specifications do not include
thermocouple error.

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53 & 54 Series II
Users Manual

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